After 2015

by Andrew Sumner

"It is 2015. George Clooney is US President. Angelina Jolie is Vice President. Bob Geldof and Bono, respectively, Irish President and Prime Minister. China has just overtaken the US as the world's largest economy. India is not so far behind. Some of the UN poverty targets - the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were met. Some were not. Progress in Africa accelerated following large aid flows from new donors (such as China) but repayments are now looming. The other MDGs were missed though not as badly as expected. Climate change/chaos has intensified with many of the impacts felt in the South. Urbanization is accelerating. What next? The MDGs have played a major role in focusing policy since their original incarnation in the mid to late 1990s. What happens when we no longer have the MDGs - what will guide policy after 2015?"--Publisher's description.